“In essence, what we’re talking about, is the customization of education versus the standardization,” Fegley said.

At a Phoenixville Area School Board meeting March 21, Fegley emphasized that the new education plan sought to “first and foremost...de-couple chronological age and grade level content.”

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“While some students take a little bit longer, some take a little bit shorter,” Fegley said. “Typically, in the American education system, everything has been based on 180 days a year and everyone needs to achieve a standard level. What they learn in that time is what they learn.”

“There’s a real belief we espouse here in the district that it doesn’t mean just because you’re 5-years-old or 6-years-old or 12-years-old that you have to be specifically in this (set) curriculum,” Fegley said. “We need to look at how we de-couple that and make available to all students the curriculum they need in order to advance.”

Fegley said the plan for the curriculum was to provide a “wider variety” to students.

In his presentation, Fegley displayed a chart detailing the breakdown of content available to students by age.

For example, a 5-year-old in kindergarten, depending on his or her ability, could be taught content for a kindergarten or first grade curriculum. A 6-year-old would be taught, again, based on ability, a curriculum ranging from first grade to third grade levels.

A similar range would be taught through the district until a 17-year-old, in 12th grade at the high school, could be taught a curriculum at the 12th grade, “13th or 14th” level, according to Fegley.

The aim is to have students who are able to taking a curriculum at a level equivalent to the first two years of college.

“That seems like a stretch to some people but it really isn’t,” Fegley said, citing the high number of students taking Advanced Placement courses coupled with their eye scores.

Hybrid and online learning opportunities would be increased at the secondary level, as well.

Fegley said throughout the new plan, students will be kept in their “age-appropriate peer group” because that “is important.”

Additionally, special education students would remain with their age groups as well and be taught a “slightly modified curriculum,” Fegley said.

Key to the de-coupling vision, according to Fegley, is the district’s proposed early learning center.

The early learning center would house all of the district’s students from kindergarten to either first or second grade, Assistant Superintendent Regina Palubinsky told The Mercury earlier this month. According to the district’s long-term building plan, the early learning center would replace the Kindergarten Center.

The Kindergarten Center now houses all of the district’s kindergartners but is over-capacity.

“The goal of (the early learning) center is that when (students) come out of there they’d be already above the first grade level,” of reading, Fegley said.

That would lower the district’s current aim of having all students reading on their grade level by the end of third grade.

“It will provide a unique environment,” Fegley said of the center. “An environment that focuses on the literacy skills that are necessary for all students,”

Fegley said it was possible some students would remain there for a third year, after which it would be evaluated whether they should move on to second or third grade.

Additionally, part of the plan calls for a “secondary campus,” where high school and middle school students might be able to go back and forth between their buildings to take classes and utilize resources at either school.

Fegley said the concept of the secondary campus is something the district hopes to “keep on growing.”